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Settling In Your Bunny

BRINGING YOUR BUNNY HOME

Ensure you have your bunnies new sleeping quarters and playpen set up ready for his/her arrival.

The journey home will have been a little stressful for your bunny, so place them straight into their new home and leave them quietly to settle in. By leaving them in their new home for at least 24 hours, this will allow your new bunny some time to make their home their own.

The need to recognize their new living quarters as their own is crucial to their sense of security. Your bunny needs time to adjust to their new environment as they may be experiencing sights, sounds and smells for the first time. If you bunny scrambles or nips it is because they are weary of their surroundings and defending their new space. With patience and time this behavior will stop and they will feel comfortable and learn to trust you.

Keep noise to a minimum in the early days and minimize the number of people who handle your bunny. Let your bunny settle in.

Bonding With Your Bunny

Initially just sit on the floor with your bunny and let them check you out. Always have some healthy treats to encourage interaction and reward them with. Try to avoid touching them at first and let them explore their surrounding and your smell and presence. If you like, lay down with the hopes that they find this less threatening and it encourages them getting closer to you and maybe even jumping up on your back.

Once bunny has accepted your presence begin to offer them your hand. Let them sniff your hand. Gradually build up bunny’s trust and slowly move to stroke them on top of his/her head. Bunnies love a good head scratch or on the side of their face too.

Exercise and Outdoor Play

Bunnies need sunshine and outdoor play to retain good behaviour, temperament and engagement. They need to be able to use their natural instincts while digging, running and binkying, enjoying some sunshine and fresh air. Many healthy pet bunnies live inside their whole lives but we know this is not optimal care. Sunlight enables vitamin D in skin to be transformed into active form that helps animals absorb calcium from their food. Benefiting your pet bunny’s teeth and bones from just a little sunlight exposure each day will keep your fur baby happy and healthy longer.

But this does not come without its own risks. Keeping in mind weather constraints. Providing your bunny is in a secure pen/run, has the right conditions and plenty of ways to regulate its body temperature if too cold or too hot. They must be kept safe from predators including attacking birds and roaming neighbourhood pets. Make sure the run is insect proofed and they have a ‘hidey hole’ to have some ‘me’ time. Be sure your bunny is vaccinated.

All of our bunnies enjoy their outdoor play time when weather permits.

Some common health issues that may arise with your furbaby
Health Issues
  • Heatstroke

    Rabbits are very susceptible to heatstroke. Symptoms of heatstroke are heavy breathing, lack of movement and elevated body temperature. Never leave your bunny out in direct sunlight always have them in a shady area. Using a frozen water bottle for them to keep themselves cool and always have access to water.

  • Overgrown Teeth

    Your bunnys teeth will grow continuously and if not worn down with a well balanced diet of fresh oaten hay and some wooden treats and branches to chew on, will overgrow which will interfere with your bunnys ability to eat. If this occurs you will need to take a trip to your local rabbit savvy vet to have his teeth trimmed.

  • Mites

    Mites are microscopic bugs that can live on different parts of your bunnys body and will need traetment. Depending on the mite, symptoms can be dandruff, flaky dry skin, head shaking, and scratching. A mite treatment like Revolution (for puppies and kittens,with directions for bunny doses on the instructions) can help clear the mite problem.

  • Pasteurella (Snuffles)

    Pasteurella is a bacterial disease that can be a cause of nasal or sinus infections, ear or eye infections, pneumonia, or abscesses in bone, joints or internal organs. Pasteurella colonizes the nasal cavity and upper respiratory tract, but many bunnies do not show symptoms as long as the immune system is functioning normally. A thick yellowing discharge forms in the nasal cavity blocking the airways of your bunny. This warrants a vet visit immediately.

  • Calicivirus (RHDV 1 & 2)

    Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease commonly known as Calicivirus was introduced by the government (CSIRO) into Australia in 1995 as a biological control to the wild rabbit population. Infected bunnies develop a fever and die within 12-36 hours of its onset. Symptomatic rabbits may display fever, squeals and lethargy. Convulsions may also be seen. There is a vaccine for RHDV 1, but it does not cover RHDV 2. Speak to your local Rabbit Savvy Vet for more information the vaccines.

  • Myxomatosis

    Myxomatosis was introduced into Australia in 1950 to control the rabbit population. This virus is carried by mosquitoes and fleas (biting insects). Between 96 and 100 per cent of rabbits with myxomatosis die. Affected rabbits develop swelling/redness/skin tumors, and in some cases, blindness caused by inflammation of the eye, followed by fatigue and fever. Rabbits usually die a slow death within 14 days of contracting the disease. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for this cruel disease. But prevention is key, using fly mesh and covering your bunny’s hutch/outdoor play area, automatic repellent sprayers and natural plants that keep these insects away.

Bringing your bunny home

Settling In Your New Furbaby

Ensure you have your bunnies new sleeping quarters and playpen set up ready for his/her arrival.

The journey home will have been a little stressful for your bunny, so place them straight into their new home and leave them quietly to settle in. By leaving them in their new home for at least 24 hours, this will allow your new bunny some time to make their home their own. The need to recognize their new living quarters as their own is crucial to their sense of security. Your bunny needs time to adjust to their new environment as they may be experiencing sights, sounds and smells for the first time. If you bunny scrambles or nips it is because they are weary of their surroundings and defending their new space.with patience and time this behavour will stop and they will feel comfortable and learn to trust you. Keep noise to a minimum in the early days and minimise the number of people who handle your bunny. Let your bunny settle in.

Bonding With Your Bunny

Initially just sit on the floor with your bunny and let them check you out. Always have some healthy treats to encourage interaction and reward them with. Try to avoid touching them at first and let them explore their surrounding and your smell and presence. If you like, lay down with the hopes that they find this less threatening and it encourages them getting closer to you and maybe even jumping up on your back. Once bunny has accepted your presence begin to offer them your hand. Let them sniff your hand. Gradually build up bunnys trust and slowly move to stroke them on top of his/her head. Bunnies love a good head scratch or on the side of their face too.